TophMai
by Emeraldegg
Summary: An interesting tale of how love finds everyone eventually, whether they want to or not.


Toph/Mai

Toph felt the air beginning to cool down and knew that night time loomed. She was seventeen that month. She stood up, in the middle of the rocky desert that existed just outside of the walls of Bai Seng Sai, when she felt a familiar foot step within her six-mile-radius of 'sight' (Superior to that of any seeing person) and felt uneasy. She knew this person, not well enough to recognize them by foot, but she knew that she would recognize his/her voice. She had the strangest association, similar to that of Zuko's when he startled her, or if she wasn't awake, as if they were an enemy, but that they were friendly.

She didn't like even a hint that she was disabled, because she knew inside that if she could see that person she would recognize them, so instead of just ignoring them, she began land surfing toward them aggressively. She wore a metalcoat of pants, over a regular pair, that was built on her so that it could only be removed by bending, which was convenient for the only metal bender in the world, except for Aang, who had picked it up only a few days after the war ended, angering Toph to no end. She approached the person within minutes, startling them.

They had just been walking along when suddenly a huge dust cloud, seemingly an earthquake, and a giant racing boulder came toward them abruptly. "Toph?" asked a female voice, and Toph nearly flew off her rock. "Mai!?" Toph cried,letting her bending slip enough for a swift descent, so that she finally got to ground level right in front of the young woman. " What on earth are you doing here?"

Mai had been more depressed than usual for the past couple of years, as Zuko had left her for Katara a while back. But it got far worse with the birth of his fifth child, as that was exactly how many Mai had wanted. She didn't want any children anymore. Toph had decided she was through with men, because every guy she had shown interest in had gotten married. Sokka and Suki got married two years after the war was over, Teo had married a girl of his people three years after, and even Aang had fallen for Ty Lee, and they were engaged. So both of them, Mai and Toph, lived alone, and, frankly, unhappily. So Mai, thinking that she needed a change and that Toph could probably use one too, had decided to come find her in the rocky badlands of the outside of Bai Seng Sai. Mai herself lived in the inner wall.

Unfortunately, Mai was not good at navigating maps, was alone, and had no animal that she was riding here. She had gotten lost, and had spent the last night in the Wastelands, as it was called. She was quite hungry. Toph could feel the 21 year old wavering, and was concerned. She walked up to Mai to ask what was wrong, but instead ended up catching the girl as she pitched forward into swirling darkness.

When Mai awoke next, it had been three days. She was on a hard bed, made of earth with a thin sheet on it, a result of Toph's attempt to make it comfortable for Mai. Toph preferred rock hard furniture, but understood that no one else she knew did. Toph was mixing some Turtleduck stew on a campfire, occasionally cursing when a stray bubble popped in her hands. Mai was drowsily surprised that a blind person cooked, but then thought, Well, how else would she eat? Toph felt Mai stir slightly, and walked over smiling, saying," Well, sleepyhead! Finally up, after coming to find me only to pass out with Wolfscorpion fever?"

Mai's eyes popped. WolfScorpion fever was incredibly lethal, similar to Tetanus, only far more deadly, which was found in soil, and earth. Unfortunately,it affected the central nervous system, so those who did not die were often paralyzed, or had little to no use of certain limbs. "Wolf...?" Toph laughed. "Don't worry, I got Katara. It wasn't like you were going anywhere!" Toph joked, and Mai realized her arms were metalbended to the table. The Deadly WsF, as it was called, had a side affect that caused a hallucinogenic hormone to secrete from the spine. It was well known for causing people to jump out of windows, thinking they could fly, and to create suicidal tendencies while a victim was affected. "Ka- Kat..tara?" Slurred Mai, confused on how Katara seemed to make this better.

Toph looked toward Mai with surprise, and replied,"Yeah, Katara. Didn't you know that she is a healer?" Toph asked curiously. "Am I, am I, better?" Asked Mai, still in a floaty, intoxicated state. Toph chuckled. "Still a bit on the high side, but it's been interesting seeing the unfiltered crap that comes out of your crazy-ass brain!" Mai moaned, and wondered just what she had said to make the blind girl giggle so. Toph said suddenly," Oh! I'm out of cabbage! I'll just have to run to the city real fast..."

Mai's suddenly looked alarmed. " No! I- don't- stay here with me! Don't- don't- no!" in her stoned state of panic, she stuttered and flailed for words. Toph frowned. "Fine, but your the one with crappy soup!" Suddenly Mai realized that she must have been out for a while, with Toph taking care of her, because Toph looked absolutely haggard. Her cheeks were gaunt and thin, and she had major shadows under her eyes. Mai was sad to have caused that much trouble, when all she wanted to do was invite Toph to visit the Eastern air temple with her. Her eyes grew heavy, and even before Toph brought the soup to her, she was quite asleep.

The next time Mai awoke, she was much more alert. Now she was ready to ask Toph some questions.

"Toph?" Mai called into the kitchen made of stone. " Be there in a minute!" Gasped Toph, who, Mai realized, was huffing and puffing, doing some very strenuous activity. Mai then became aware of wind softly blowing through her hair, still sticky from sweat from the fever. She realized, shocked, that Toph _was moving the whole house!_

Mai could scarcely believe that the teen had so much power. Moments later, the house stopped moving, and Toph came into the kitchen. After she caught her breath, she smiled at Mai, and said,"Yes?" Mai asked her how bad she was, how bad she had been, how long she had been out, where they were, whether she would lose her limbs, and whether her life was still in peril.

Toph replied smoothly," You've been out for two weeks now, you had serious case of WsF, but now you're on the upswing coming out of it, we're in the middle of The Wastelands, where I live in my house that _I_ built." Toph smiled smugly, and Mai had to chuckle at the girl's braggadocious attitude. Then Mai's eyes grew wide, as she realized there was one question that Toph hadn't answered. " Am I going to lose any limbs?" Toph's smile dissipated when Mai asked that, and sighed. " I don't know, Mai." She confessed. "Your right arm has been giving you and I real trouble lately, the other one's are fine, but..." Toph sighed again and left the kitchen, leaving Mai to try to figure this out herself.

The next morning, Toph suggested that Mai try to get out of bed, see if she could stand. Mai thought this was ridiculous, if she wanted to stand, of course she could! She didn't see what the big deal was. She soon found out. After two, nearly three weeks, of being bedridden, her muscles, which hadn't exactly been in top shape, now were so weak she really_ couldn't _stand. Mai couldn't help herself. She cried when she was lifted back into bed by Toph, and Toph clumsily held her. " Mai, I promise I'll help you get back to fighting standards."

Mai sniffed. " I just want to be able to walk again..." Then she sighed, and pulled herself together. "How are you going to help me?" Toph smiled. "Oh, don't you worry about that! I'll train you so hard you won't want to walk!" Mai started to laugh, but the mischievious expression on Toph's face made Mai reconsider. After all, with Toph, she was probably serious.


End file.
